New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-11
BLUNDERS WITH BIG GUNS.
NO END OF TROUBLE ON THE ATLANTA.


CARRIAGES THAT WON'T WORK - YACHTING
xNorNvs THAT ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH.
Ths country has been flooded with literature from the
Navv Denartmsnt at Washington intended to convey
the idea that the long deIaysn getting the new
war sbps and especially tie Atlanta, the nearest
Mated of them ready for due to faults OF the
contractor John Roach, In the making Of the engines
The true OF the delay has been In the miscalcula
tons the officers assigned by the Ordnance Bureau to
design the guns carriages, de- for tho outfit OF the
vessela When Secretary Whitney engaged In his
great work Of REFORM" tbs reorganization Of the De
partment Of the bureaus which he retained
under his arrangement the Bureauo Ordnance
at the head OF which s Commodore scard This branch
of the Department Is highly favored by Mr.. Whitney
being Differed and managed by the line officers just
this bureau Is the object Of considerable crics
because of the laundering and Incompetence II Is
showing in the matter Of placing tho guns on board OF
the Atlanta. The vessel has been lying for several
months at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The slight ae-
fciency in the machinery which showed itself on her
trial trip up the Sound has been remcded and she Is
now ready to make another trip She will
take a run up the Sound Wednesday. 1t was hoped
that this trip the guns would be tested bu they are
In shape TO re waddng despite the mon tins OF
time that tho Bureau Of Ordnance has spent trying TO get
them ready The most deplorablo part Of the affair Is
that the the guns nkercd st to mako them NJ
the ship get Workmen have been busy with
hammer cutting out big sections Of the steel
sides Of the Atlanta In order to get the Hochkss rapid
firing guns into the gun towers and out again when
wanted
Last December the tracks were laid on the decks and
firmly fastened down. When this was all completed
the Bureau officers in charge discovered they should
have known beforethat the copper nvets which hold
the tracks being rapidly oateu away BY gal
ysnic action due their contact with the iron. Reluo-
family the copper rves were withdrawn and after con
suitstion de,ided to steel rvets Word was
natoa rio
of wasted time tho steel nyets were sent on They
scarcely driven into their places whom the heads
few or ALI the steel rvets were yanked out again and
In fit Of desperation the Bureau took the advice oft
practical engineer officer and sent for some iron bolts
After weeks of weary waiting the iron bolts came
Tho line officers in charge Of tho work were
third. and It hoped the last time Alas fer the nn
anpp snS he
pivot guns the fore aud after deck were hosted on
awaiting the various experiments on the gun tracks
and they had been placed In position Il was FOUND tnai
ts%pted to swing them around or run them the
bindng" OF the carriages the tracks prevented Be
IS necessary to raise tho carriages before any
hiring be done To cap the s%sn the 1To u ne
distractions ss from bis josrsonian and soono@ical
70 WORK the eehtnoS guns which weigh with the
Tisges something IKE 81. 600 pound: each ,.,
beyond chiseng pieces OF the ships sides out which al
OF the HotchEiss guns to the gun towers.
AL %ss WITCH ns 1 70 %as' nos
said old once. the other ,s h day T asS
r fin bet SroSnston. 'front.' against yard calico
the Atlanta successful In her run up the SOUND next
week. will be two months before her guns can DC
Tho guns Of the Boston which lies at the wharf short
yea She has little yachting engines 70 work her
hArO
OF chaos and incompetence ntns the Atlanta
a a'f has d dssssS In to s1a
dapicang the bunSs,s already made bax seems s6s
sssscrant sun: Be
the midget engines that were bought for 500 or there
and sold for old junk while engines Of sufficient power
must be put In their place.
board BY reading tho published dispatch about the Cana
v ns s Of ose
Atlanta the only warshp the Nation a has %aen .a rs
that with guns which will not swing round or shoot
anywhere but up in the sky or down In ths warer sne
the Vigiiant the Terror and the Hewlett
Although the Atlanta hss been in commission nine
Sh To cccupy his room two weeks of that time owing TO
the repairs going on immediately above him in the effort
me HiSHsa win give her ensines trial at the wharf
CURIOUS ECCENTRI0ITIES OF HOTEL GUEST.
Harvey s. Durnall, fne-l0oklng, welicresseo
man. at the Colonnade Hotel in Broadway
eight DAYS ago. After seeing that bis baggage was
properly slowed In his room be ordered dinner
cDough for three four persons He came to the
dinner table with the swift movement OF hai-fam-
ished uan sat down. looked At the food tor IN hour
or 80 tbOut touching it, and then ordered bottle
on wine. He did not want the cork removed from the
bottle and after stiDg tor haif-hour longer toying
with the bottle he went back to his room without tax
ing eveu sip. During Mr. Durnals stay at the hotel
he repeated this peculiar act several times he had
plenty OF money with him and paid for everything he
got In his room he spent much time In cuitvating
bis voice. his special ambition being apparently 10
initiate the howl OF q wildcat He repulsed all efforts
Of other guests scrape acquaintance with him and
talked much to himself In the hotel CORRIDORS ,
Yesterday Mi. Durnall ordered another dinner that
LIE did not eat, paid his bill and walked out of the
into Broadway but he stood for three hours in front
OF the hotel without moving and seemed to enjoy the
Lnat Officer Kernan watched tho man for awhiie
and then spoke to him. He would not tell where he
was going, and bic actions appeared so strange
the officer took him to the Mercer Street Station Mr.
Darnal told the sergeant at the desk bis name ana
said that he formerly clerk in the Patent Ofce
at Washington, but would not give any information
as to his friends. Tie wac sent to Bellevue Hospital,
and was said by the attending physician to be suffer-
ing from mild form of insanity Mr.. Dufnail was
st the Colon made Hotel two years ago with H. W.
Dornall OF Marshalton, Penn, who 10 thought 10 Do
his brother.
TESTIMONY AGAINST WILLIAM TOMSON.
william Tomson Kingsbrdge accused Of shooting his
vito was arragnsd Police Court yesterday
Aoounsel animation postponed until after the
Justice refused the delay and